The invention relates to an inhalation therapy device with a nozzle nebuliser, in particular with a nozzle nebuliser having a nozzle element which is easy to clean and is thereby simple and reliable to handle.
Inhalation therapy devices are used to administer suitable medicaments in the form of an aerosol to patients suffering from disorders of the respiratory tract. By adjusting the droplet size owing to a corresponding design of a nebuliser, it is possible to control those sites (pharynx, bronchi, lungs) at which the medicament is supposed to be deposited. The patient inhales the nebulised medicament through his mouth via a mouthpiece in order to adapt the inhalation therapy device to the patient to an optimum extent.
In order to generate the aerosol with a desired droplet spectrum, it is necessary to precisely realise the geometry of the nebuliser or aerosol generator in order to avoid deviations and modifications over the lifespan of the inhalation therapy device. The geometry of the nozzle element has an essential role in this regard, the nozzle element being part of the aerosol generator. By manufacturing the nozzle element in a precise manner, it is thus ensured that the aerosol has a reproducible droplet spectrum.
In an inhalation therapy device, the aerosol generator and the nozzle are normally exposed to contamination caused by residual medicament, sputum (saliva) and exhalation condensate. To comply with hygiene requirements, especially if the inhalation therapy device is being used by several patients, the components of the nebuliser must therefore be cleaned regularly in order to free them of residual medicament, exhalation condensate and sputum residue. For this purpose, the components of the nebuliser should be designed so that they can be cleaned thoroughly in a simple manner. An inhalation therapy device is normally configured such that it can be cleaned and sterilised in order to remove residual medicament, sputum residue or other such contaminations. For this purpose, the inhalation therapy device can normally be opened or dismantled in such a manner that cleaning and/or sterilisation is possible without any problems.
The nozzle of a nebuliser or an aerosol generator often comprises sharp, precisely manufactured edges, which are necessary to achieve a reproducible droplet spectrum and a good yield, i.e. efficiency of the nebuliser. These geometries of the edges are very sensitive, particularly during cleaning of the nozzle, and they can thus only be cleaned with great care and effort. Finally, it is virtually impossible to prevent damage to the geometry of the nozzle in the medium to long term.
Cleaning of the nebuliser components or the nozzle must, however, be made possible for the reasons already cited above. It must be possible for a patient who is generally unaware of the problem of the sensitive geometry of the nozzle to nevertheless carry out this cleaning without any problems, in particular patients suffering from physical impairments as a consequence of their respiratory disease.
Inhalation therapy devices having nebulisers or aerosol generators are known from the prior art, for example from EP 0 786 263, which can be dismantled such that they can be cleaned, for instance, under running water or sterilised in an autoclave. For this purpose, the inhalation therapy device can be opened such that the nozzle of the aerosol generator is freely accessible and can thus be reached by a cleaning fluid. However, in the case of tightly adhering particles, rinsing with a cleaning fluid is generally not sufficient and therefore mechanical cleaning of the nozzle possibly has to be carried out. This inevitably leads to the use of a cleaning tool, for example a brush or cloth. This considerably increases the risk of damaging the sensitive geometry of the edges of the nozzle and of consequently modifying the desired droplet spectrum of the aerosol generator of the inhalation therapy device. The inhalation therapy device having a nebuliser or an aerosol generator would become ineffective in many cases since the droplet spectrum is essential for the type of therapy.